Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers says he has no qualms about selecting any of
his black players for the Europa League tie in Russia on Thursday night,
despite the much-publicised racism of radical Zenit St Petersburg supporters.

Carry on: Raheem Sterling will not be put off by racism, says Brendan RodgersPhoto: GETTY IMAGES

Zenit’s reputation has been sullied since the publication last December of a manifesto from a group of their fans – the Landscrona – which stated they did not want black or gay players at their club.

Liverpool have called upon Uefa and Spanish referee Carlos Velasco Carballo to ensure their squad is protected in the last-32 tie, but Rodgers said any abuse would unify his team.

“I didn’t think of leaving anyone out,” he said. “These are young players that have experienced this in their lives before, so we are going into a sporting arena and everyone from football, Uefa and referees will support any player it may affect.

“I didn’t think of it too much because they want to play and some are young player progressing. Glen Johnson has a lot of experience. Raheem Sterling has been through similar before, but it will very much unite the group.

“I’ve never known a set of fans refuse to support black players but I have not spoken directly to the players at the moment. We still have a few meetings and we will make reference to it as we have some players who it could affect. Anything that goes on outside of that will be taken care of.

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“No one in life wants to see anyone come under any sort of scrutiny like that. We hope the officials and Uefa can take care of all that side. There’s no doubt if there is anything untoward, we will do everything as a football club to stand behind those players it may affect.

“It’s a social issue, not a football one. We as a football club and in Britain have done a lot of work to prevent racism. It’s a social aspect of life.

"No matter your race, colour or creed, everyone is equal.”

After its publication, Zenit’s executives and most of their fans immediately condemned the toxic manifesto. The club reiterated this on Wednesday night.

“We feel the need to underscore that we are working together with Uefa representatives to ensure the safety of all players and fans at Petrovsky Stadium,” a Zenit statement said.

“We at Zenit have always condemned racism. We strongly underline that tolerance is the only possible mode of development for our club, the game of football, and sport in general. We sincerely hope that this principle is fully shared by our opponent.”

You would have been forgiven for thinking Liverpool had just arrived in 1930s Berlin rather than 21st-century Russia, given this pre-match discussion. In fact, recent history suggests it would be surprising for visiting players to be targeted in the Petrovsky Stadium.

The radical element of Zenit’s support is quite specific in their bigotry. Essentially, they could not care less if Liverpool field a team of black or gay players. For the few who have stained Zenit’s reputation, it is those ‘outsiders’ at their own club of which they are intolerant.

It was the signing last summer of the Brazilian Hulk and Belgian Axel Witsel that proved to be catalyst for the militant supporters’ malignant stance, manager Luciano Spalletti, breaking the ultimate taboo to sign a player of Caribbean descent.

Spalletti said: “Skin is just skin. For me the level of the players is more important. We have Hulk, Witsel and Alves. I do not know which category you consider them to be but they show there are no problems. I have absolutely no limitation on which players I can sign. The club sets no limit.”

“In St Petersburg and the football club we absolutely accept tourists from all over the world, and foreign players who come to play for the club,” the Landscrona claimed.

Given their welcome gift for Hulk was a fake bomb with his photograph attached, do not expect them to get an approach from the Zenit tourist board soon.

The manifesto considered black and gay players a threat to Zenit’s regional identity, and the fear is the arrival of a high-profile opponent will be exploited to further advertise their demands.

The confused, complex and, at its core, repulsive declaration issued by the Landscrona was immediately followed by an attempt at clarification.

You know any statement beginning with the line ‘we’re not racists but’ is bound to be septic. Spray the disinfectant and delve a little deeper, however, and there was rather more to note than its rambling inhumanity.

Had the authors erased the most insidious passage of their manifesto, the rest of the document had plenty in common with many English football supporters’ groups with its anti-corporate imagery.

The rotting intolerance ensured this secondary feature of the Landscrona manifesto was largely ignored. That of how supporters from all over Europe are feeling the need to mobilise, creating their own associations relying heavily on either a strong sense of trade unionism or, as across Europe with the proliferation of ‘Ultras’, evoking military images.

Right wing, or indeed left wing, extremists amalgamating to a football club is hardly rare to Russia.

The Landscrona harbour the kind of lunatic fringe you could probably locate at any major (or minor) club – see this week’s TV report about Millwall for further details – but there are those who insist Liverpool fans need be no more concerned about how they will be treated tonight as they were in Moscow earlier this season, or their last visit The New Den several years ago.

Sergey Yaremenko, a reporter for Russia’s Sport Express newspaper said: “I don’t want to describe these people as racists. I describe them as stupid. A small, very radical group of fans made this ridiculous statement. In the stadium, the majority of supporters welcome players regardless of their skin colour.

"Of course there have been incidents of racism in Russia, as in other countries, but it is wrong to say it is normal and I would not expect there to be any problems for Liverpool.”

Zenit St Petersburg v Liverpool Petrovsky Stadium 5pm, ITV4

Liverpool are without Daniel Sturridge, cup-tied through Chelsea’s elimination from the Champions League into the same competition as the Merseyside club. Daniel Agger also remained at home, rested rather than injured, but otherwise Brendan Rodgers is expected to field a strong line-up.